A rather well balanced IPA...not exactly what I expected from a SD brewery but pleasant nonetheless (although I certainly don't object to hop bombs!). The bready maltiness actually dominates on both the nose and tongue for me. The fruity and bitter elements from the hops are there but pretty subtle when compared to a lot of other west coast IPAs. This is a real quality brew, but, considering the cost, I'm not sure I'll come back to it anytime soon....a couple more bucks will get me a sixer of some other great stuff. (551 characters)

Classic, silk-screened white lettering on a dark brown 'bomber' bottle. This is my first AleSmith beer and I'm expecting great things.

Slightly hazed, orangish peach that should become significantly more clouded on subsequent pours as the yeast find their way into the glass. The head is light toffee in color and is stiff, sticky and pitting. There's plenty of lace already and the cap has just begun to recede. Ultimately, the glass is coated with a huge amount of thick, chunky lace in rings and sheets.

The aroma is 'hop heaven'. Loads of citrusy hops are atomizing themselves purely for my olfactroy enjoyment and I couldn't be happier. Clouds of orange peel and grapefruit peel essence--along with fresh pine--fill the room. I can't imagine that this aroma could be improved upon.

The flavor is, in a word... fabulous. Massive quantities of citric hops must have been used in the brewing and it shows. In fact, AleSmith IPA strikes me as a 'tweener', a beer that occupies that fuzzy zone between the IPA and DIPA styles in terms of flavor, hoppiness and ABV. The initial impression is of a solid wall of juicy hops rolling across the tongue, followed by a glimmer of toasted malt that tries vainly, but ultimately in vain, to stand up to the resinous hop attack.

That's not to say that the flavor profile is overbalanced toward the hops, just that they're clearly in charge and both parties know it. The malt provides the sweet, cake-like underpinnings that allow the hops to run rampant and assault the tastebuds with some (minor) degree of restraint. A balancing act par excellence. I think it's pretty apparent by now that I truly love this beer, but let's continue.

The finish is a never-ending sweetsticky symphony of hops; again, tempered by the ever-present, but never intrusive, toasty caramel malt. The body is big, but not huge. This is no Dreadnaught, but I can't think of an IPA that has a creamier, silkier, smoother, bigger body. The alcohol is hidden exceedingly well. It's only evident in a slight warming (in my stomach and in my soul) as the bomber disappears.

Quality, quality, quality. AleSmith IPA is neck-and-neck with my favorite IPA/DIPAs so that any differences in score are trivial at best. It isn't available in this state, but it is available on-line so that I have a ready supply if I so choose. And believe me, I choose in a big way. If you love IPAs and haven't yet had AleSmith's inspired version, it's worth whatever effort and expense that is required. (2,512 characters)

Thanks to garagekegger for sharing his bomber with me,poured a slightly hazy light amber with a nice one finger head,aromas of course are intensly hoppy very piney and citrusy.This is a bold tasting IPA very resiny and piney along with lemon rind but there is a firm somewhat nutty malt backbone that is very noticable.A damn fine IPA loaded with flavor damn I want more! (371 characters)

Drinkability  This one is very smooth, almost light. The 7.25 ABV is unnoticable. If you like your IPAs smooth and even (as opposed to hairy and over-the-top) give this one a shot if you can find it. (582 characters)

Full, rich, luxurious body is the color of soft copper. Clear and brilliant with healthy lacing the lasts long after the thick ivory subsides. Memorable green hop aroma that also contains plenty of citrus ranging from sweet, ripened navel oranges to bitter grapefruits. Flavor has a wonderful caramel malt quality that is surprisingly balancing towards the pine/citrus bitterness and yeasty fruitiness. Balance is key here. Everything I want in an IPA can be found but damn this one is drinkable, it feels good, its beautiful just an all around winner.

I cant wait to get some more of this when in Ohio in two weeks. Hopefully Ill be able to stock up. (784 characters)

A: Amber colored, slightly hazy due to bottle conditioning. A 3 cm white head that leaves plenty of chunky lacings as it settles. Decent retention and great looking lacings.

S: Very pronounced citric character - lemon and grapefruit abound. Plenty of floral hops and hop resins as well. Some caramel and subdued malts. Slightly spicy. The hop aromas are really outstandning and so fresh they almosts stings the nose.

T: Wonderful hop character here as well. Grapefruit and lemon peel dominate. Faint notes of mango. The malty caramel flavor is quite big but still obviously plays second violin with the hops taking center stage. Some spices in the middle. The finish is rather bitter, but the bitterness is really integrated in the overall profile. It finishes with floral hops, pine-needles and again a slightly spicy sensation. The finish is long. No sign of the alcohol.

M: Medium body, not very crisp. The carbonation level in this one is close to perfect. Medium amount of small and rather calm bubbles - it really suits the beer well.

D: A great IPA. Perhaps not very complex, but very well balanced and with a beautiful hop character of lemon and grapefruit. It goes down really easy and I would definitely have another if it was offered to me. (1,304 characters)

Fantastic beer from Alesmith. I had a bottle on 10/24 that was bottled on 10/2. Very fresh.

It pours a dark copper, very transparent and not murky at all. It tasted extremely refreshing. The bitterness was perfectly blended with some sweet citrusy notes. It smells as good as it tastes, too. This is easily one of the more "complete" IPAs that I have had. I don't have a single complaint about it. I think it is very well done and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys IPAs and DIPAs (495 characters)

What a great looking beer! This poured a very nice burnt orange color with a huge frothy white head that left nice spider web like lace down the whole glass. The smell was very strong on hops as expected, but they were a bit more pine like than I was expecting. There was also a nice toasty malt character peaking through as well. The taste was great, with a wonderful piney hop profile and just enough malt character to balance it out. The bottle-conditioning gave the mouthfeel a very smoothe character and not overly carbonated at all. If I had to compare this to any other IPA, it would be Stone IPA. This one leans more on the side of the pine flavors and is not quite as dry tasting as the Stone. Between these two, I think one would have an IPA for every occation. (771 characters)

A- Copper-gold, completely clear, minus a few tiny suspended particulates. Creamy white head evolved into a just as creamy foam layerS- Malty followed immediately by a good hop smack. Deep, dark hops. Grape (like the flavor not the fruit as much)/lemon, pineT- Hops first malt second in the mouth. So balanced. The bittering/floral aspects of the hops are damn near perfectly executed.M- Exactly how a nice IPA is supposed to be for me. Nice, even, smooth carbonation that coats the tongue paired with a robust wetness This is a great beer. One of my favorite IPA's in San Diego. IT IS better than GOOD. Sooo perfectly balanced and easy to drink. (650 characters)

Glad this one is finally in my hands as I've been wanting to try it for awhile now. Pours from the bomber a lovely bright amber orange/peach color with a half inch of bubbly off white head that leaves sticky spots of lacing on my glass. Inviting! Aromas begin with a wall of rich, resinous hops exhibiting pine sap, citric and light floral aromas. Images of rubbing fresh picked hops through my fingers comes to mind. A sweet crystal, lightly caramelly malt background is present as well. Just a lovely blending of tropical, citrusy and piney hop goodness. Enchanting.

First sip brings a rich, resinous, green candy hop blast with big citrus and pine flavors exploding all over the place. Such a condensed fresh from the vine hop flavor here, yum. The hops are backed up by a sturdy sweet crystal maltiness that has a slight toasted bread flavor. It finishes with a flow of bitterness that leaves a lingering hoppiness. Alcohol is nowhere to be found, this is just a stellar IPA all around.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth and a bit creamy. The mellow carbonation makes it so easy to consume and the bomber empties all too soon. An awesome brew that I'd drink way more often if it was available. Count yourself lucky if you can get Alesmith at your local! Thanks to blitheringidiot for hookin me up with another great beer. (1,332 characters)

Clear light golden orange body with a pure white head pocketed with large white bubbles among a tight knit of smaller ones. Aroma is somewhat light but nice nonetheless. Filled with citrus including grapefruit and some tangerine. A nice sweet malt base mixes in the aroma as well. Could be stronger overall.

A very nice flavor for an IPA. A good bit of bitterness but nothing overwhelming although it does finish with a bit of a bite. Taste has some citrus in it although I find it to be predominately resin dominated. Nicely balanced with a malt backbone to compliment the hops. No hint of alcohol either.

Has a nice mouth coating medium mouthfeel. Flavor lingers for a while. Drinkability is superb. Crisp and refreshing that comes with a nicely balanced flavor. (770 characters)

A gold colored beer with a huge white head that resembled whipped cream. Very sticky, lots of lacing. Aroma of citrus, floral, and sweet malt. The taste was more pine than grapefruit, but both were well-represented. Still a good malt presence. A very nice, well-balanced beer. (276 characters)